With the rapid improvements being made in the art of mobile computing devices, work spaces that once resided primarily on desktop workstations may increasingly be ported to smart phones and Personal Data Assistants (PDAs). These mobile devices may be particularly useful for tracking and recording data inputs in real time as they become available to a user. Instead of waiting for access to a stationary computer, a user may immediately enter data on his/her mobile device as the data becomes available. However, increased portability may also come with numerous tradeoffs. For example, most mobile devices have a limited screen size which may limit the amount of information that may be displayed to a user simultaneously on the screen. Input devices and methods may similarly be limited and require extensive scrolling operations that drill down through layers of options in order to select a single input option.
Presently, data are presented in a traditional input form as illustrated in FIG. 3A. Users are required to drill down to a separate page or to use additional components to select and enter values. The most frequently used input method is the rolling time wheel, which is usually a calendar component. In some other cases, users are required to manually type the value with a soft keyboard. However, even if a wheel or keyboard component is provided, the data values are hidden until the components are evoked as shown in FIG. 3B. Even after the components are evoked, the available values are not readily apparent in the page and may require extensive scrolling, which results in confusion and a slow data entry process. Hence, improvements in the art are needed.